Anna's World

Monday, April 30, 2007

I'm in love....

... with my new sewing machine!! I am just SOOOO excited! I've never had a sewing machine, although I do have dim memories of using my grandmother's...

The woman in the local fabric store assured me this 'basic' model is foolproof, and after playing with it for an hour or so yesterday, I did indeed manage to get it to make stitches! It has a simple dial on the front where I can select from 22 stitches. The cool thing is, though, you can stretch or condense each of those 22, so in fact there are many, many more!!!

What I want to do is incorporate fabric into paper collages and paper into fabric collages, all with fancy stitching, and I think this machine will be perfect!

AND I found another little fabric store in town teaches quilting classes... ooooHHH my gosh, the possibilities are endless....

Saturday, April 28, 2007

What a life!!

Who would have thought this little one - born in Singapore in the 60s to a 19-year-old mother and a daddy only two years older - would grow up to study at Oxford, take herself off to Kenya a la Karen von Blixen, meet her American hubbie, live in California, study for the ministry, lose four babies, mourn her mother's passing, then return to a small town an hour away from the village she grew up in to raise her two healthy children, close by the friend she went to Brownies with and the friend she shared a paddling pool with...

Phew!! What a busy 40+ years!!

Now I wonder what she'll do in the next 40????

We can't do much about the length of our lives, but we can do plenty about its width and depth.

Tuesday, April 24, 2007

New goodies!

Oooh, look at these yummy postcards and initial tags by Anahata Katkin!! I just can't wait to start playing with them - and sending them to friends! The images are just so vibrant and powerful. Sadly, Anahata only ships to the US, so I bought these goodies from a new favourite online shop Small Studio Productions. No, I'm not on commission, but Ginny does sell some scrummy things! And her art zine Observation is STUNNING!!!!!! Truly as inspiring as Teesha Moore's Art & Life and Studio zines - and for those who know me, you'll know there is indeed NO higher praise than that!!!!!!!

Wednesday, April 18, 2007

Feeling scared...

... and vulnerable...My bank details have been stolen and someone on the other side of the world has been spending my money...Thankfully my bank is on to it, and the money will be reimbursed - eventually - but I feel so shaken. How they got the details - who knows!!!Suddenly the worldwide web - which I usually see as something glittering and glorious binding unseen friends together - is scary and alarming...

What can we say...

Monday, April 16, 2007

Birthday giveaways

Finally I've got myself organized...Here are the wee goodies I'll giveaway at the end of the month to whoever's name comes out of the hat...Sorry the scan's aren't great - still no camera!The top pic is of a 4x4 canvas I made. The central image is one I bought from a dear friend, Fran Burras, last year - finally I've done something with it!And the book is one I made last year and finally got round to adding decoration to. It's totally blank inside for scribbling, doodling, writing that great masterpiece...So if you like the look of these wee things, just leave a comment before the end of the month and I'll put your name in the draw!Giving away goodies truly is as much fun as getting them - I think I'll do this every year on my birthday :o)

Wednesday, April 11, 2007

Rendered speechless - AGAIN!!

Look what came in the post today!! My FANTASTIC hippy swap goodies from Lisa Oceandreamer - OMG!!!!!!!!!!!! All packed in the loveliest paisley bag were handmade peace earrings, hippy beads, wonderful painted cloths, a CD of FUNKY music and THE scrummiest smelling incense sticks!!And look at that mail art - no wonder the postman had a BIG smile on his face when he handed me the package :o)Bless you, bless you, Dear Lisa!!! You have made one not-so-young hippy SOOOOO happy!!!!!!!!And to round off a perfect day I have JUST finished a batch of three manuscripts I've been editing all week - just in time for me to take over from Nick in taking care of the kids for the rest of the Easter hols - Hooray for me :o)

Saturday, April 07, 2007

Such beauty!!!

Now was I not THE luckiest winnder in the Spring Giveaway last month?!?! Can you believe there are TWELVE stunning spreads like these in the GORGEOUS altered book Gemma sent to me?!?! Click on the pics for a closer look :o)I am SPEECHLESS - which as my family will tell you - is nothing short of miraculous!!!Sadly my camera is in the shop being repaired, so all I can post are these not-brilliant scans, but they give you a flavour of this BEAUTIFUL piece... And to wrap it all off, it came in its own funky box, so I can keep it safe for ever more.THANK YOU is just not enough Gemma - HUGE HUGS are winging their way across the ether :o)

Tuesday, April 03, 2007

Throw some paint!!

This is my desk calendar pic for this month - I LOVE this quote!!April's always a fun month for me - birthday on the 28th and wedding anniversary on the 29th.So I thought I'd have another wee competition (I can't wait till Lisa Oceandreamer's next big giveaway in May!!)Just stop by and say hello to me sometime this month and I'll put your name in the hat...No idea what I'll give away yet - but it will be something I've thrown paint at :o)

About Me

I suffered a serious stroke over 10 years ago (aged 43 at the time) and it's been a slow, often frustrating, recovery...
I lost my speech and was totally paralyzed on my right side, but with patience and regular physiotherapy, I can now speak, walk short distances, operate the computer, but my right side is still paralyzed. I get botox injections 3 times a year in my right bicep and forearm, which relaxes the high-tone muscles and makes it easier to stand and walk. Last year I started weekly sessions of hydrotherapy, where I build up the wasted muscles by exercising while supported by the warm water. It's bliss at the time, but I ache like heck next day - but it's so worth it :)